Have you ever wondered where all the native macaw species in the Caribbean have gone? Or how they could possibly be reintroduced in the Islands? Would you like to know how the feral macaws in Miami are contributing to research into seed propagation by poop studies? Then this talk is for you!

The Caribbean islands have experienced severe human-related animal extinctions in the last 7000 years, but we lack a full understanding of the effects of these extinctions on the function of the ecosystem. All species of primates, giant sloths, macaws, and giant tortoises have gone extinct in the Caribbean. In particular, the Islands have experienced a strong loss of animals that eat and disperse seeded plants. Fabio will talk about the importance of birds and reptiles for endangered plant life in the Islands and his exciting work on how rewilding animals, especially macaws, can restore the ecology. He will also discuss his previous research in Belize with yellow-headed Amazons on nest survival and nest box selection.

Fabio Tarazona is a field biologist with a strong passion for avian conservation. He is currently working towards obtaining a Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) at University of Miami under the mentorship of Dr. Mauro Galetti. Fabio has vast experience in the field of Conservation Biology, having worked and directly led several research projects, which have spanned from evaluating nest survival of avian communities in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico to evaluating the impacts of nest poaching of endangered Neotropical parrots in Central America. Currently, he is interested in exploring avian mediated seed dispersal services and other plant-animal interactions, particularly for the Caribbean region where many of these interactions have not been evaluated in detail. As part of his research, he plans to evaluate how plants are responding to the absence of larger frugivores and the role of parrots in dispersing large seeds in the Caribbean.

Contact info@theparrotclub.org for a Zoom link.